Animal Crossing: New Horizons has finally been released for the Nintendo Switch worldwide. While some players that pre-ordered the game may not be able to play for a while, those who already have access to the new Nintendo title have started their island adventure.
Like many other Animal Crossing titles, the first major milestone in Animal Crossing: New Horizons is for players to pay off their debt to Tom Nook. With the starting charge including not just lodging, but airfare and other amenities as well, the first milestone may seem threatening. Luckily, Tom Nook offers new arrivals to the island a new method of paying off the first debt: Nook Miles.
Nook Miles are a simple mileage program offered by Tom Nook where players can earn miles by doing simple tasks throughout the island. 5000 miles are needed to pay off the first debt and once it's all paid off, players will have access to a house the very next day. That number may still seem threatening, but the majority of initial tasks reward players with 300 miles each. The following are some of the quickest and easiest tasks to complete.
Island Shutterbug
For this task, players simply need to use the photo option on the Nookphone menu to take a photo of the island. This automatically awards players 300 Nook Miles, as well as a fun keepsake. There are filters and many different fun options to try out while using the camera, so players can enjoy experimenting with what kind of photos they want to take.
First-Time Buyer
This task is completed by buying an item from Timmy or Tommy in the Resident Services Tent. Any item will do and it doesn't have to be furniture. More items including tools, medicine, and seeds can be found by pressing R on the shop menu.
Trashed Tools
All that's needed for this task is for the player to use a tool until they break it. This will naturally happen with the tools starting out over time during the process of catching bugs and fish, so there's no need to actively pursue this task. It will happen eventually, but that just means progress is being made.
Pick of the Bunch
The classic method of earning bells in Animal Crossing is the key to this task: picking and selling fruit. For this task, 20 pieces of fruit must be sold at the Resident Services Tent. For new players, this may seem like a lot of fruit, but when fruit comes in threes on the trees, they add up fast. Players should remember that only one fruit type naturally grows on islands and if they want to get other fruits, they will have to travel to other islands.
Go Ahead. Be Shellfish!
Another classic bell earning method will award players miles: collecting and selling seashells. 10 seashells need to be sold at the Resident Services Tent to get the initial miles for this task. Seashells can be found on the coastlines of the island along the beach. However, if a shell starts to move, it's probably inhabited by a hermit crab, which can be caught with any net.
Edit Credit
If players go on their Nookphone, they can view and edit their passport. By editing their photo, title, or comment, players will be awarded Nook Miles for the initial time they do it. Titles can be awarded by achieving the various tasks that earn Nook Miles.
First Custom Design!
By going into the Nookphone and entering the Custom Design App, players can edit and make patterns for clothing and furniture. Doing this for the first time will award Nook Miles.
Shady Shakedown
Many things can fall out of trees when players shake them. This can be from wooden sticks, to bells, to wasps, to even furniture. By shaking out a piece of furniture, players will be awarding Nook Miles. While this is random, it will likely happen while players try to obtain wooden sticks.
Exterior Decorator
Animal Crossing: New Horizons allows players to display furniture outside, similar to the mobile game, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp. By displaying 10 furniture items outside, players can earn Nook Miles. Note that even insects and fish can be displayed as furniture, so displaying them can make the process of getting this task completed much faster.
Bulletin-Board Benefit
All that's needed for this task is for players to write or draw on the bulletin-board by the Resident Services Tent.
These are all some of the easier tasks that can be completed on players' first day on the island. More miles can be earned automatically or as extra results from clearing these listed tasks. Even more can be earned by catching fish and insects that can be found all around players in their new island life.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is available now, exclusively for Nintendo Switch.